The Ikeja Division of the Lagos High Court has sentenced a man, Clement Ododomu, to death by hanging for killing seven officers of the State Security Service.

Giving the judgment on Tuesday, the presiding judge, Hakeem Oshodi, also handed a 16-year jail term to Mr Tiwei Monday.

According to the court, the convicts committed the offences on September 14, 2015, in Ishawo Creek, Ikorodu, Lagos.

They were arraigned on a 10-count charge bordering on conspiracy to commit murder, murder and illegal possession of firearms, which contravened Section 223 and 298 (3) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

The state government stated that the SSS received a distress call from an editor of SUN newspaper (name withheld) on September 14, 2015, informing the security agency of the kidnap of his wife at their residence.

Acting upon the information, the state command of the SSS dispatched a nine-man team to carry out surveillance to ascertain the location of the kidnappers who were already negotiating for a ransom.

Later in the day, one of the officers, Martins Ajayi, sent a distress text message to the command headquarters, saying that the men had been ambushed by vandals who also seized their weapons.

Responding to the charges under cross examination, the defendants pleaded not guilty to the crime, submitting that they were in Lagos to attend the burial of their grandmother.

But delivering the judgment, the presiding judge held that the defence failed to provide essential witnesses to corroborate the claim, adding that the defendants did not show remorse for their crimes.

“The court has considered the allocutus of the defence counsel, but the position of the law is binding to us all. As noted, the first defendant was convicted on counts one, five, seven, nine and ten, while the second defendant was convicted on counts one and ten,” the judge said.

Mr Oshodi held that although the prosecution was able to prove that the two defendants participated in the ambush of the SSS operatives, they however failed to prove the case of murder against the second defendant, adding that the evidence before the court showed that it was one Agbala and the first defendant who committed the murder.

The judge therefore discharged and acquitted the convicts on counts two, three, four, six and eight because the prosecution was unable to prove the allegations against them.

“The court has observed the demeanour of the defendants and came to the conclusion that they felt no remorse with regard to the allegations they were facing. They informed the court that they do not understand English, whereas, in the recording, they both were conversing in English.

“The first and second defendants are hereby sentenced to imprisonment for 14 years for count 10 and the first and second defendants are hereby sentenced to imprisonment for two years for count 9.

“The first defendant is hereby sentenced to imprisonment for 20 years. The terms of imprisonment for both defendants will run concurrently. For count five and seven, which the court has found the first defendant guilty of, the sentence of the court upon you is that you be hanged by the neck until you are dead and may God have mercy on your soul,” Mr Oshodi stated.